Cohort analysis of fertility change among females in two agro-ecological zones of Ghana

Abstract

The Kassena-Nankana and Ejura-Sekyedumase districts are located in two contrasting agro-ecological zones of Ghana. While the Kassena-Nankana district is located in the dry savannah agro-ecological zone, the Ejura-Sekyedumase district on the other hand is located in the derived savannah agro-ecological zone, and this has implications for fertility. The main objective of this paper is to ascertain using cohort analysis and the district level as the unit of analysis, whether there have been changes in fertility amongst females aged 20-29 and 40-49 in two distinctive districts in Ghana. The study also aims at adding to the scanty literature on fertility change in Ghana. According to the analysis, cumulative births per female at age 29 shows a difference of 0.7 and 1.2 for the Kassena-Nankana and Ejura-Sekyedumase districts respectively, for the two age cohorts. This gives an indication that fertility has slightly decreased among the two cohorts in both geographical locations.

Institute of African Studies: Research Review Vol. 20(2) 2004: 11-21